Bridge Isn't Relieving as Much Traffic as Expected

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Fewer drivers than expected are using a new Mississippi River bridge in St. Louis.

KMOV-TV reports that data shows that since the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge opened in February, traffic is down more than 25 percent on the Eads Bridge and 40 percent on the Martin Luther King Bridge, but just 7 percent on the Poplar Street Bridge.

The new bridge carries Interstate 70 over the river and had been projected to reduce traffic by as much as 50 percent on the Eads and Martin Luther King bridges, and by 20 percent on the Poplar Street Bridge.

Part of the issue is that traffic is up overall on all bridges - by about 7 percent.